Cot and stretcher holder for railway-cars.



G. FORDHAM. GOT AND STRETOHER HOLDER FOR RAILWAY OARSI APPLIGATION FILED MAY 16, 1913.

1,067,597, Patented July 15, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE FORDHAM, OF AFFINITY, WEST VIRGINIA.

GOT AND STRETCHER HOLDER FOR- RAILWAY-CARS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FORDHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing in Affinity, in the county of Raleigh and State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Got and Stretcher Holders for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means for holding cots and stretchers in railway cars.

In many places, such as coal fields, it is often necessary to transport the sick and injured to hospitals or other places in railway cars, and it is usually necessary to employ cots or stretcher-s for this purpose which are commonly placed in baggage cars. Ordinarily the stretchers or cots are placed on the floor of the car or supported on trunks, boxes, etc., without regard to comfort or any suitable system.

According to this invention, means are provided for supporting cots and stretchers in a systematic way in the car, which are of such construction that they may be adjusted to accommodate cots and stretchers of different sizes and which are also so constructed and mounted that they may be held out of the way when not in use, thus leaving the car space unobstructed under ordi nary circumstances.

In carrying out my invention, 1 provide in the car a pair of supporting bars for each cot or stretcher. These bars are located a suitable distance apart to accommodate a cot or stretcher between them, and they are provided with means for engaging the side rails or handles of the cot or stretcher near its opposite ends. Each of the bars has a pivotal or hinged connection with the side of the car near the floor thereof and each bar carries at its outer end a leg which is adapted to rest on the floor of the car. This leg has a pivotal connection with the bar and may be folded or turned on its pivotal connection so as-to occupy a position parallel with the bar, and the bar with the leg thus folded may be turned to a vertical position parallel with the side of the car and thus be out of the way when the car space is being used under ordinary circumstances. The outer ends of the bars are connected by chains with the side of the car and by means of these chains the bars may be raised and lowered when desired.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 16, 1913.

Patented July 15,1913. Serial No. 768,045.

Other features of the invention and details of construction will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings :'Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing how my improvements are applied to a railway car. Fig. 2 is a detail view in vertical section, showing how the supporting bar is turned up out of the way when not in use. Fig. 3 shows a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a detail view, showing how the devices for holding a stretcher may be adjusted. Fig. 5 is a detail view, in section, on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

The floor A of the car and the side A thereof may be of usual construction, and I preferably apply to the side of the car wooden beams B, to which the stretcher holders are connected and which are recessed, as shown, to receive the holders when they are not in use. To each of these beams B is pivotally connected a holderbar C. This pivotal connection is preferably obtained by means of a bracket D secured within the recess Z) of the beam and projecting outwardly to the front of the beam, as shown, where the pivotal connection 00 is made.

At its outer end the bar C is provided with an arm 0 projecting at right angles therefrom, to which is connected a chain E attached to the upper portion of the beam B by means of a snap hook e or other detachable device. To the outer end of the bar 0 is pivotally connected a leg F. hen the bar is lowered to a horizontal position this leg F, at its lower end, enters a socket at G in the bottom of the car. Near its inner end, adjacent the beam B, the bar C is formed with a bracket H having a recess in its upper end, and the outer portion of the bar is formed with a series of recesses z and intervening lugs I which cooperate with a sliding block J which is adjustable on the bar C toward and from the bracket H. This block is formed with a recess on its upper end, as shown, and it is provided with teeth j adapted to enter the recesses i in the bar C. The block J is recessed, as shown, and is adapted to slide back and forth on the bar C and may be also raised and lowered thereon. hen raised the teeth are clear of the recesses z and the block may be adjusted, but as soon as the block is lowered the teeth engage the recesses 2' and the block is held against endwise movement on the bar.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a pair of supporting bars C with their associated parts lowered and in position to support a stretcher, which stretcher is indicated at S in dotted lines, and it will be observed that the handles s of the stretcher rest in the brackets H and adjustable blocks J. At this time the chains E connect the outer ends of the bar C with the upper ends of the beams 13, but inasmuch as a detachable connection is made between the upper ends of the chains and the beams the chains may be moved out of the way when a stretcher is being placed in position, and may be then connected with the beams in the manner indicated.

When not in use the holders may be folded into the recesses b, in the manner in dicated in Fig. It is only necessary to withdraw the legs F from their sockets, turn them to a position parallel with the bars C and then turn the bars G on their piv ots w to a vertical position within the recesses. The chains may be folded and arranged within the recesses as shown, and in order to hold the parts within the recesses I may employ a turn button M or other suitable device. lVhen the parts are stored, as indicated in Fig. 2, they occupy practically no space, the beams B not necessarily being large and serve furthermore to strengthen the car frame and to protect it from the trunks, boxes, etc., carried by the car.

I have shown in the drawings only a portion of the car and only one pair of stretcher holders, but it is obvious that a plurality of such pairs of holdersmay be employed.

The beam 13 may be constructed in sections in the manner shown and may be recessed as indicated in Fig. 3. In this case the beam is provided with a removable front portion 13, and the recess 7) is made wider at the front than at the rear, forming shoulders b to which. the bracket D may be attached but this precise construction is not essential.

The block J may be made in various ways, but as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 it preferably formed with a recess j to re ceive the bar C and with a removable plate 7' to close the recess, but it is obvious that the block may be formed in other ways which will permit it to slide back and forth on the supporting bar and to be held in position thereon when once properly adjusted.

lVhile my improvements are especially intended for use in railway cars they may be used in ambulances and other vehicles.

I claim as my invention: 1. A holder for cots or stretchers, comprising a pair of bars adapted to be plvotally connected with the side of a car and carrying on their outer ends pivoted foldable legs, brackets on the bars adapted to receive the frame of a cot or stretcher on one side and adjustable blocks carried by the bars and adapted to receive and support the frame of the cot or stretcher on its oppo site side.

2. The combination with the floor and side of a railway car of a pair of supporting bars pivotally connected with the side of the car at their inner ends, legs pivotally connected with the outer ends of the bars and resting on the floor of the car, brackets on the bars for supporting a cot or stretcher on one side, and adjustable brackets on the bars for supporting a cot or stretcher on its opposite side.

3. The combination with the floor and side of a railway car of recessed beams attached to the side of the car, supporting bars pivotally connected with the beams and adapted to fold into said recesses, means for supporting the outer ends of said bars on the floor of the car, brackets projecting from said bars and adapted to support a cot or stretcher on one side, and adjustable brackets carried by said bars and adapted to support a cot or stretcher on its opposite side.

4. The combination with the floor and side of a railway car of recessed beams attached to the side of the car, supporting bars pivotally connected with the beams and adapted to fold into the recesses thereof, legs pivotaily connected with the outer ends of the bars and adapted to rest on the floor of the car, chains connecting the outer ends of the bars with the beams, brackets on the bars adapted to support a cot or stretcher on one side, and adjustable brackets on the bars adapted to support the other side of the cot or stretcher.

5. The combination with the floor and side of the vehicle of a pair of supporting bars pivotally connected with the side of the vehicle, legs pivoted to the bars and adapted to rest on the floor of the vehicle, and ad justable recessed blocks sliding on the bars for receiving the frame of a cot or stretcher.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

GEORGE FORDHAM.

lVitnesses W. H. RUBY, IV. L. SimirsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

